# bell curve god
## English
### Alternative forms

* Bell-Curve God
* Bellcurve God

### Etymology

From bell curve +‎ God.

### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /ˈbɛl kɜːv ˌɡɒd/
* (US) IPA: /ˈbɛl kɚv ˌɡɑd/

### Noun

bell curve god (plural bell curve gods)
* (Singapore, humorous) A notional deity having power over the bell curve grading system in which grades are adjusted to fit a normal distribution.
** 2011 November 28, Alvin Lim, ““Bell Curve God” Surfaces In Local University”, in Alvinology Media (AM)‎ (blog), Singapore: Alvinology Media, retrieved 1 November 2017:He who prays to the Bell Curve God, will be granted the luck to pass the exams!
** 2011 December 1, STUMPBO, “Who is this Bell Curve God?”, in Life of Lopsided 8‎ (blog), Singapore: Blogger, retrieved 1 November 2017:Some students in a local university who are sitting for their final examinations have reportedly resorted to and set up shrines to pray to a so-called 'Bell Curve God' for help.
** 2012 January 25, Ng Kang Rui, “Desperate Undergrads Pray to 'Bell Curve God'”, in Kangaroo’s Corner‎ (blog), Singapore: Blogger.com, retrieved 1 November 2017:It seems desperate undergraduates at a local university are willing to do whatever it takes to help them in their exams - including giving offerings to the “Bell Curve God.”
** 2013 April 12, Amanda, “加油! Adding Oil to the Ominous Bell Curve”, in 12 Time Zones Away‎ (blog), Singapore: Blogger, retrieved 1 November 2017:Upon exploring the Singaporean bell curve on the internet, I came across this comical photo of food offerings of oreos, noodles, and other goodies given to the "Bell Curve God". The paper on the image to the right reads: CURSED is he who enters without a food offering to the Bell Curve God!
** 2013 July 31, Orbital: Project Gemini, “Bell Curve God”, in Orbital: Project Gemini‎ (blog), Singapore: National University of Singapore, archived from the original on 18 September 2017:This website is a tribute to the famous but elusive Bell Curve God that everyone has heard of but has never seen.
** 2014 March 17, Joshua Goh, “10 Things Every Singaporean Should Do Before Graduating University”, in The Smart Local Singapore‎ (blog), Singapore: The Smart Local, retrieved 1 November 2017:Sign up for random events, meet new people, set up a bell curve God altar, skip classes, tell your professor you dislike the country he comes from (just kidding), sleep overnight in the library, party on Wednesdays when you have a Thursday morning class etc.
** 2014 November 25, Hana Wong, ““Bell Curve God””, in SGAG‎ (blog), Singapore: Facebook, retrieved 1 November 2017:Haha! altar to the almighty bell curve god in NTU! - good luck to uni students for your exams!
** 2015 May 16, Kintan Andanari, “5 “stunned like vegetable” reactions by young S’poreans as SIM forces exam retake”, in Mothership Singapore‎ (blog), Singapore: Mothership, retrieved 1 November 2017:Even the Bell Curve God can’t grant your wish.
** 2016 March 3, Jody-Lan Castle, “Top 10 Exam Rituals from Stressed Students across Asia”, in BBC News‎, Singapore: BBC News:"As students, we are subject to the omnipotent, inscrutable force that is the Bell Curve God. He is the arbitrary being that decides our grades," Dylan Lee Soon Yoong explains.
** 2016 October, Lily Kong, “Mimicking Religion as Coping Strategy: The Emergence of the Bell-Curve God in Singapore.”, in Material Religion, volume 12, number 4, Singapore: Taylor & Francis (Routledge), →DOI, page 533:The Bell Curve God is characterised as capable of granting “blessings” to those who worship and pray to it. Students pray for its intervention to not have their grades classified in the lower end of the curve. They pray for “deliverance” and seek reward in the form of grades “sustenance”.
** 2017 May 15, “Singapore’s Very Own Bell Curve Prayer”, in Reddit Singapore‎ (Usenet), retrieved 1 November 2017, message-ID <doctorwhybother98>:Do you feel lost? Dejected? Are you worried about your upcoming tests and exams? Do you require the spiritual guidance of Our Lord the Bell Curve God, in His wisdom and beauty and everlasting Grace? Then close your eyes and chant this prayer, and all your troubles will be answered by Our Lord the Bell Curve God and washed away: Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy bell curve. Thy midyears come. Thy will be done in O’s as it is in A’s. Give us this day our daily A. And forgive us our subpasses. As we forgive those who give poor peer grading marks to us. Lead us not into them F9s, but deliver us our A1s, GPA 4.0. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
** 2017 July 21, Geraldine Lee, “What Exactly is the Bell Curve? And How to Beat It.”, in Yodaa‎, Singapore: Yodaa.co, retrieved 1 November 2017:In the end, the bell curve is not something within your control. However, with appropriate studying habits, you can secure a favourable position on the bell curve for yourself. Most importantly, stick to your study plan; put in consistent effort; and do your utmost. There is no replacement for hard work and practice, not even praying to the ‘bell curve gods’. So long as you put your best foot forward, the curve's always beatable, your desired results reachable.
** 2017 September 15, Joey Lee, “Foodpanda Study Reveals Boom in University Food Delivery – Here’s What Students Love to Order”, in Business Insider‎, Singapore: Business Insider Singapore:And what of the nightmare that’s known as the exam period? When students are huddling by their textbooks and praying fervently to the bell curve god?

#### Usage notes

Commonly collocate with "GPA", "examinations", and "pray". Mostly used by Singaporean students in secondary schools and the local Universities. Can be found being used in local news sites, blogs, forums, and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.